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Being A Leader? All You Need Is A Little Yoshitsune (20th Century Boys)
When you think about leaders, you think about how strong and powerful they generally are. However, there comes a point where leaders eventually fall. If the leader was passionate and charismatic, the group without its head often falls into ruin. There are times when someone else decides to step up. Now what happens if the person stepping up isn’t someone who may not look the part, but ends up possibly a person who manages to do a good, possibly even better, job than his/her predecessor. This happens to be quite the case with Yoshitsune, a major supporting character from Naoki Urasawa’s Eisner-Award winning (and once again nominated) “20th Century Boys”. Yoshitsune is someone who makes you believe that we all can be leaders and that we can step up to the task with proper support.
Yoshitsune’s past involved growing up with a group of kids (including the main protagonist, Kenji Endo) playing “heroes and villains” in Japan during the late 1960s’. The kids playing heroes created a secret base to play at and came up with some ideas/scenarios of villainous acts the kids would overcome. They put the scenarios on a notebook entitled “The Book of Prophecy”. It wasn’t until 1997 that events detailed in “The Book of Prophecy” were brought to life by a mysterious cult leader named the Friend, who happened to be associated with the kids in the past. Kenji, who is appalled at seeing his childhood fantasies become horrible reality, forms a group consisting of the childhood friends he played “heroes and villains” with to stop Friend. Despite not having a tough personality, Yoshitsune sacrificed his normal life to join Kenji. The group took a stand against Friend in 2000, but lost and Kenji went missing. Since then, Yoshitsune became the leader of his own rebel group to continue the fight against Friend. Despite being a leader, Yoshitsune feels that he is not quite adequate to be one.
It is very enlightening to see Yoshitsune’s growth from being timid to inspirational. Yoshitsune may not see it, but he has six qualities that make him a great leader.
Decisiveness - Yoshitsune stands firm in his decisions to protect the people around him and to discover the truth about Friend. He actually worked as a janitor in enemy territory to rescue people who have been victimized by Friend.
Competence - Yoshitsune manages to create and maintain his own secret base for his group and provide members with the welcoming-comfort of safety.
Integrity - Yoshitsune’s followers believe in him and respect whatever he chooses to do. The trust between Yoshitsune and his men is developed because of Yoshitsune’s continued heroics.
Vision - In Volume 12, Yoshistune gave a speech to his followers at a New Year’s party he hosted and proclaimed that in 2015, the goals were to prevent further events detailed in the Book of Prophecy from happening by researching more about the mystery of Friend and to finally end Friend’s reign.
Modesty - Despite working extremely hard, Yoshitsune feels he isn’t as great a leader as people think he is and will praise others that he feels are better/smarter than him.
Persistence - For the last 14+ years since 2000, Yoshitsune just kept on fighting against the Friend despite the Friend’s worldwide celebrity status and never gave up hope that the Friend would one day be stopped.
As Ed Sizemore of Comics Worth Reading pointed out in a review of Volumes 12-13 of the manga, people often confuse charisma with leadership. It doesn’t hurt to have charisma, but it’s not the ultimate solution to being an effective leader. Having a huge sense of focus while being supportive is the best way to go to have a chance of getting people to follow you.
Yoshitsune represents the type of leader who’s not always featured in the spotlight. He’s a leader that doesn’t completely focus so much attention on himself and is more about actually get things down. What’s also special about Yoshitsune is that he chose to lead his own life into a specific path that would help cultivate future leaders. The way Yoshitsune is modest about himself is similar to the way some people believe their efforts aren’t special. We’ve all been through moments where we believe we don’t deserve credit for our efforts, but forget the fact that we tried means something. Trying something is a huge step forward and is something to be really proud of. If you never go out and try, then you might feel even worse and nothing will change.
Need some more motivation? Here’s a quote from Teruyuki Kagawa, the actor for Yoshitsune in the live-action movie adaptation of 20th Century Boys, about the character.
“Yoshitsune may appear insignificant and may never excel in a working environment, but I think his character evokes an important message about taking responsibility for our own life because each of us is the star of our own lives.”
We are all leaders, believe it.
This entry is part of the VIZ Signature Imprint Manga Movable Feast. More wonderful articles covering the vast titles under the imprint can be found at the page linked above.
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ZETMAN - A Lesson In Teaching Children To Grieve
If you watched the first episode of Masakazu Katsura’s ZETMAN or read the first volume of the manga, there were moments where the main character, Jin Kanzaki, becomes emotionally confused after the death of his grandfather, Gorou Kanzaki. Jin would then be under the care of Akemi Kawakami, a hostess who Jin saved and would later quit her job to support him. There’s one particular scene where Jin and Akemi take a bath together. Akemi asks Jin about his parents. Jin says he only had Gorou, to which Akemi hugs him tenderly and Jin begins to cry over his grandfather’s loss. It makes you think about the importance of teaching children how to grieve.
An article on Psych Central talked about what will happen to children if they are not able to grieve over losses. If left to their own devices, children will become extremely depressed, become angry, and try to avoid loss as a way to cope. While the anime does show Jin’s confusion, the manga went even further. There is a scene in the manga (after the bath scene) where Jin and Akemi get into an argument on Christmas Eve. Akemi buys new clothes for Jin after taking him in, but Jin refuses to wear them because he only wants to wear his grandfather’s clothes. Akemi yells at Jin for not being able to get over Gorou’s death. Jin gets pissed when Akemi mentions Gorou, but she doesn’t mind as she decides to make it her goal to raise him properly due to his past.
Children need a person like Akemi to understand that loss is a part of life. It also doesn’t hurt if the person taking care of them is tough and keeps on fighting despite trauma. Akemi gets her face slashed, but she doesn’t let it get her down. In today’s world, there are kids who overreact to even the smallest and most insignificant type of loss that it’s not even funny.
I don’t know about you guys, but the Jin/Akemi moments really got to me when I first followed ZETMAN. Watching the anime adaptation just rekindled those feelings. It’s moments like these that make me love the vast world of manga. I’m sure you all feel the same way too.
Remember kids, losing something doesn’t mean everything’s all over. For one thing you lose, you still have other things that will make you happy and keep you going.
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The Young Adult’s Fight For Purpose (Solanin)
“I wondered if the Demon that whispered “Why not be free?” was Freedom itself.” ― Inio Asano, Solanin
In life, there are instances where the transition from being a teenager to an adult can be a harsh one. Many responsibilities have to be instilled into one’s mindset while whatever dreams they may have are left to fade. What happens when people desire to break free from the constraints of growing up? Inio Asano’s critically-acclaimed Solanin takes a look at the idea of adulthood and what it means to young people who are trying to find their way. It also addresses a serious issue on how to guide young adults to have successful lives on their terms.
Solanin revolves around a young girl named Meiko Inoue, her boyfriend, Taneda Shigeo, and their group of friends. Meiko works as an office lady while trying to find her purpose in life after graduating from college. She lives together with Taneda, who is a part-time freelance artist and also trying to find his calling. Taneda, who is part of a band with his friends from his college days, decides to get his band out to the public in hopes of making it big. Meiko subsequently quits her job to support Taneda, but ends up being lazy as she isn’t sure what to do with her newfound freedom. The story goes through some interesting and shocking turns, but in the end, Meiko becomes certain of how she wants to live her life through music. Despite Solanin running only 2 volumes in Japan, the manga was nominated for a Eisner Award in 2009 and a Harvey Award in the same year. Solanin also went on to become a live-action movie in 2010.
Given that life expectancy has increased, how can we truly define “adulthood” these days? How long does adolescence last now? Though the bigger issue at hand is the fact that there aren’t too many initiatives involved to help youths that face conflicted thoughts about life. In Solanin, you see that the characters are bordering the thresholds of adulthood. You can argue they are “in-between” adolescence and adulthood, like how most young adults feel in reality. I wonder if older adults are to be entirely blamed for slowly killing young people’s sense of purpose. Their set institutions, standards, and policies do not seem to promote a healthy well-being in the minds of young people. Governments may be enforcing rules hindering youth for the purpose of fueling their own egos. Older adults can develop a high level of selfishness when given great power. This leads to an idea that there is possibly a sense of ageism against youth.
Reading Solanin can make you think about what can compassionate folks do for those on the cusp of adulthood. How do we meet their needs and give them purpose? Not all young people are lackadaisical about life and those that are may realize the error of their ways. Some keys, as evidenced in Solanin, are to help find their passions and find out what makes them feel good.
Solanin has made me think about my depression period. During that time, I had so much freedom, but no purpose. I managed to find my purpose with the help of my friends. With the world becoming more increasingly complicated for young people to grow up in, I do worry that they will continue to be held down to a huge degree. Though as Solanin has reminded me, even the slightest amount of support from someone can give you purpose.
Despite the title being published in 2005, Solanin is still very relevant today. This manga is for all the dreamers out there. Don’t just dream, fight and keep fighting for your dreams.
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Another Issue For VIZ Media - What Can Replace Naruto and BLEACH?
Pop Quiz: What will happen when two of these iconic characters are eventually gone from the spotlight?
Wow, VIZ Media. They’ve been getting a lot of attention lately, huh? After reading Zach Logan’s editorial “The War On Manga”, I decided to browse the many comments on the entry. One excerpt from a comment stood out to me, especially given with how sales in the U.S. manga industry haven’t been looking so grand for quite some time. This is the excerpt:
Viz is now jointly owned by Shueisha, so the real strings are being pulled straight from the top. Naruto and Bleach will be ending within 2 years tops. What is their business plan when 2 of the Big 3 are no longer propping up house?
Given the fact that Naruto and BLEACH are ranked as the top 2 manga properties in the U.S. at the moment, are both appearing to finish up in the future, and have EXTREMELY huge fan communities, is Shueisha really doing anything to make sure that there will be a new holy trinity alongside One Piece? Yes, scanlations are a big issue, but another key issue is how to get a new generation of fans (and potential buyers) in the West to be interested in reading manga going forward, given that Shonen Jump material is still the starting point for a majority of new fans.
Once Naruto and BLEACH are done, what can VIZ turn to as their main titles (besides One Piece) for promoting Shonen Jump Alpha when it really takes off? The other Shonen Jump Alpha titles they have (Bakuman, Toriko, and Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan) look to be hitting it off with fans, but are they as special as those two titles? Do these titles really relate to teenagers and young adults as well as Naruto and BLEACH have? The closest popular title that can take a spot in the trinity is Hunter x Hunter, but the title is published irregularly and that just won’t do when it comes to generating sales.
As of right now, it feels like Shueisha will just keep on riding One Piece’s popularity going forward since it’s become a cultural symbol in Japan. That doesn’t seem to help VIZ at all, as One Piece isn’t super-popular in North America when compared to Japan. Perhaps a Shonen Jump Advanced online magazine featuring Blue Exorcist, Rosario + Vampire, and D.Gray Man could be in the makings.
I’m sure there has to be some aspiring artists who will rise and be inspired by the likes of Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, and Tite Kubo, like how Akira Toriyama was an inspiration to them. Though as Bakuman has hinted with the low birth rate these days in Japan (which decreases the chances of a super-popular mainstream manga), the hopes of that happening are dim.
Manga in the U.S. isn’t going to die immediately if Naruto and BLEACH end. However, it feels that there has to be some simple Shonen Jump battle manga (no disrespect to One Piece) that appeals to teenagers/young adults to get the ball rolling and spark interest in the wide world of manga itself. While some fans may find them boring, the success of extremely popular titles (i.e. “typical Shonen Jump” titles) helps to give non-popular titles a chance to breathe life. Back when I was a teen, Dragon Ball Z, one of the most popular Jump series of all-time, was the reason why I got into manga. I started buying many manga volumes and developed a taste for other series that have better stories as I got older. The U.S. manga industry NEEDS popular, teen-friendly Shonen Jump titles to sell, no matter how cliche or overrated they may be, in order to stay afloat since Shonen Jump is still the top manga imprint in America. For now, Blue Exorcist appears to be a good successor to Naruto/BLEACH for VIZ, even though it’s a JUMP Square title.
Then again, I wonder if Japanese publishers truly care about the West at all when it comes to promoting manga internationally. Here’s a tweet for thought.
Such is the life of one being involved with manga in the U.S. or west of Asia, is it not?
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The 2011 Great Manga Holiday Gift Guide!
It’s that time of year once again. The season of giving. Time to find out who’s been naughty or nice. Thankfully, there are a variety of manga series that appeal to folks who’ve been good all year or just a bit bad. In collaboration with the 2011 Great Manga Gift Guides, it’s time to present Manga Therapy’s 2011 Great Manga Holiday Gift Guide!
Here are a few manga titles that I feel make great gifts for readers.
Blue Exorcist (Volume 1-5+) by Kazue Kato, VIZ Media
Does it make sense that I have to start off with one of the hottest shonen titles in 2011? Blue Exorcist is a manga that continues the dominance of female mangaka writing shonen manga. The characterization is very well-done and the plot is original. Also, girls will fall in love with Rin and Yukio Okumura.
Fullmetal Alchemist Complete Box Set (Volumes 1-27) by Hiromu Arakawa, VIZ Media
Hiromu Arakawa’s grand masterpiece in one box set. Do I really need to say anymore? FMA is arguably one of the most epic manga series ever written. This series has everything you want in a shonen manga. From start to finish, you will enjoy the journey of the Elric brothers as they show off the power & perseverance of humanity.
Drifters Volume 1 by Kohta Hirano, Dark Horse Comics
Time travel? Check. Historical figures? Check. Lots of violent fighting to stop evil? Check. Drifters is an interesting title that highlights how cruel people can be. Plus, it’s from the same guy who did Hellsing. The main villain also looks like a Nazgul from Lord of the Rings.
The Drops of God Volume 1 by Tadashi Agi & Shu Okimoto, Vertical Inc.
This is for those who want to read a manga title that doesn’t focus on violence & sex. This international phenomenon has impacted reality in many ways and has received much press attention from popular media outlets. If you’re a wine enthusiast, you will LOVE this manga. For anyone else, it’s a nice change of pace from the usual manga you see everyday.
‘A Bride’s Story’ Volumes 1-2 by Kaoru Mori, Yen Press
A title that has won critical acclaim in both Japan & America. The story focuses on a young lady named Amira, who marries a younger boy named Karluk in the Middle East. The artwork is gorgeous and realistic. This is a cute and fascinating title that takes a look at the structure of family and marriage.
20th Century Boys (Volumes 1-15+) by Naoki Urasawa, VIZ Media
One of the most suspenseful manga I have ever read, period. The Eisner Award-nominated 20th Century Boys is a title full of mystery and intrigue. If you want a title that throws crazy plot twists and you love crazy cult figures, then this is your book.
Sailor Moon (Volumes 1-2+) by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Comics
This is the female role model that all the little girls should look up to. All I can say is that it’s a good title to show to young teenage female readers interested in manga. It’s also a great history lesson for them as well as they get a chance to read one of the most influential shojou manga out there.
Princess Knight Volume 1 by Osamu Tezuka, Vertical Inc.
A gem that would help set the tone for shoujo manga. You can’t help but admire Princess Sapphire and her determination to be a hero to others. This is another influential title that I feel young female manga readers HAVE to read.
The Book of Human Insects by Osamu Tezuka, Vertical Inc.
An intense, thought-provoking story where you see how certain people can be very manipulative towards others. The main protagonist isn’t someone you can actually root for. This title is recommended for those who love complex characters in their stories.
This is just a small sample of what I would recommend. What other manga titles do you think would make great gifts for readers? Post in the comments section below and let me know what you would give!
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Tiger & Bunny Clip - Masayuki Ozaki at New York Comic-Con
There’s a brief snap of me at the 00:31 mark!!! :D
Anywho, I’m glad Ozaki had a great time at New York Comic-Con. Yes, WE ALL LOVE TIGER & BUNNY HERE IN NEW YORK CITY. Manhattan IS Tiger & Bunny. I’m still amazed at how the series has related to many fans all over the world. NYC really is one of the most diverse places on Earth. Thankfully, the Sunrise crew didn’t choose L.A. or else everything could have been too glitzy & materialistic.
Much thanks to my friend, Bobbie, for showing me the video!
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New York Comic-Con 2011 Adventure Log!
On October 13-16, 2011, the East Coast’s biggest pop culture convention landed upon New York City once again with an infusion of comic book artists, celebrities, video game developers, and of course, a LARGE number of cosplayers. New York Comic-Con 2011 managed to draw an attendance of 105,000 over the span of 4 days. A lot of things happened, so get ready for a somewhat extensive recap.
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Blue Exorcist (Ao No Exorcist): The “One Piece” of JUMP Square?
(Rin: Not only do we got an anime that’s kicking butt, but now our manga is crushing it in Japan!)
Last Thursday while I was browsing around Kinokuniya Bookstore, I managed to see the latest Japanese volume of Kazue Kato’s Blue Exorcist (Ao No Exorcist), Volume 7, on the manga shelves. I did notice that there were more copies than usual. Later that day, I found out that Volume 7 had a print run of a million copies. Now this is pretty interesting because I’m trying to figure out what makes the series EXTREMELY popular right now in Japan. Even Japanese bookstore staff have recommended the title to consumers. Someone on the Anime News Network forums made an interesting comment: “One Piece is to Shonen Jump as Blue Exorcist is to JUMP Square”. Is it really safe to make that comparison?
The funny thing is that the series hasn’t been out for a long period of time. It’s currently at 28 chapters, which is about 2 years worth of material. This rise is somewhat similar to the rise of Hajime Isayama’s Shingeki no Kyojin (published in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Shonen Magazine). The main difference is that Blue Exorcist is published in a mainstream manga magazine under the JUMP label.
Before I began following Blue Exorcist, when I think of JUMP Square, I think of Claymore, D. Gray-man, Shin Prince of Tennis, & To-Love-Ru Darkness. When I read the first volume of Blue Exorcist, I immediately thought, “Why does it feel like I’m reading D. Gray-man?” I’m sorry to fans of both, but that’s how I felt. Both stories involved demons, feature a protagonist who has some demonic power, & also take place in a exorcist organization setting. However, I did notice that Blue Exorcist is a lot more lighthearted and relatable to teen readers & young adults because the exorcist organization in this series is more like a school.
(I can imagine the HUGE amount of RinxYukio fanfiction/fanart out there in the vast landscape of the Internet.)
As much we can credit the popularity of the anime for a heavy interest in the original source material, I think it might come down to the presence of the two main characters in the series: Rin Okumura & Yukio Okumura. Both are good-looking and appeal to many fans. A friend of mine even told me that the fujoshi in Japan really love Ao no Exorcist. When I first saw Yukio on the cover of Volume 2, I immediately thought, “Wow, he looks sooooo cool! I can definitely cosplay this with no wig!”
The “twin brothers in the same school” dynamic intrigues me. You have one brother who’s calm, smart, & talented (Yukio) and you have the other who is the opposite but seems to get more attention (Rin). I think many of us have been through sibling comparisons & rivalries. In essence, siblings interacting with each other can be quite a hectic, yet educational experience for those involved.
Kato has stated that Blue Exorcist was inspired by a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. For those familiar with the Brothers Grimm stories, they are often popular fairy tales for children with heavy mature themes. One German scholar has described them as tales of the struggle to be human.
I spoke to Alex Hoffman on Twitter about the appeal of Blue Exorcist. This is what he thought about the mass appeal of the series right now:
If you think about it, everything seems balanced in Blue Exorcist. There’s something for everyone in the series. Sure, it may feel like a typical shonen manga. However, the pacing is good. Nothing really drags on for too long. The characters are all well-done (Regarding the characters, I’m especially interested in Mephisto Pheles & where his allegiances really lie). Most importantly: the story is about a child of Satan wanting to take out his father, the big baddie, himself. That’s a pretty unique concept for a shonen manga if you ask me. Kato has managed to incorporate the theme of exorcism (which can get VERY frightening) and made it fun to read about for a young audience.
So, does JUMP Square have a legitimate flagship title in Blue Exorcist? With D.Gray-man (arguably the most popular JUMP Square title before Blue Exorcist) going in a darker & more serious direction, Blue Exorcist looks to capture even more fans of all ages with its fun blend of action, comedy, & drama. It’s also an interesting look at what happens when a class of students who all have unique personalities interact in an educational environment. Doesn’t that sound just like school in real life?
(The main cast of Blue Exorcist.)
If Blue Exorcist is going to be the “One Piece” of JUMP Square, having a huge print run is a good start. The series just needs to be even more aggressively marketed in Japan & slowly take over all aspects of real life. Who knows? There might be a day when Shiemi Moriyama garden vegetable dishes are made & served to the public.
Until then, let the blade of Kurikara continue to shine bright & set hearts ablaze in blue!
Want to jump aboard Blue Exorcist? You can watch the anime at Crunchyroll. The English-translated manga is available courtesy of VIZ Media. If you want to be up-to-date with the Japanese volumes, you can buy them at Shueisha’s website here.
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Screencap Source: Tiger & Bunny, Episode 22: Bad Luck Often Brings Good Luck
Now that Hurricane Irene passed, I managed to catch up on some Tiger & Bunny. This was what I immediately thought after watching this part in the latest episode.
Hard to believe that this series is ending in 3 weeks. Many fans (including myself) would LOVE to see a 2nd season.
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Role Reversal in Japan (Ooku: The Inner Chambers)
The women of Japan. What can we say about them? Cute, pretty, & sexualized for the most part? Throughout the course of Japan’s history, a majority of Japanese women have been treated with little respect, expected to be submissive to men, & to yield to men’s desires. However, what if those women became the ones to demand respect from men? Award-winning mangaka, Fumi Yoshinaga, explores a world where the women are in total charge of feudal Japan in her work, Ooku: The Inner Chambers. The title explores the implications of having a matriarchal society & the possibility that whether women can be “beasts” just like men are.
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